Switch-stand lock.



PATENTED OCT; 22, 1907' H. PAULSON. SWITCH STANDNLOQK. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1,1906.

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UNITED STATES HANS PAULSON, OF ORTING, WASHINGTON.

SWITCH-STAND LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 22, 1907.

Application filed June 1, 1906. Serial No. 319,745.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Hans PAULSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Orting, in the county of Pierce and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switch-Stand Locks, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanyin g drawing.

This invention relates to switch stands and especially .to devices for locking the same and has for its object to separately lock the switch rod and the operating handle.

A further object of my device is to produce a lock which may be operated as easily in the dark as in day light; in which the key may be inserted without care as to which side of the key is nearest the operator; and which can only be unlocked by the special key intended for the lock.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a switch stand having my locking device mounted thereon, Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the handle locking mechanism, Fig. 3 is an enlarged view showing the key passing through. the cogged wheel, and Fig. 4 is a side elevation thereof.

Similar numerals of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The switch stand is provided with a base 1 having lugs 2 on its-upper surface, forming notches or recesses at suitable points into which the actuating arm of the switch fits. The switch rod 4 is secured to the arm 3 in the usual manner and leads directly to the switch. It will be observed that the lugs 2 look the arm 3 and the switch rod l close to the junction thereof so that any strain coming on the rod 1 and tending to throw the switch will be taken up entirely by the lugs 2 without being transferred to the vertical bar 5 or to the handle locking mechanism. The bar 5" is secured to or formed in the same piece with the arm 3 and extends vertically through suitable beari ngs in the switch stand, and is adapted to turn on its vertical axis and also to move longitudinally on said axis so as to enter, or be withdrawn from, the said recesses formed on the base 1 by the lugs 2. The bar 5 passes through the horizontal table 6 of the stand in the usual manner and has the casting 7 secured to it above the said table. The casting 7 carries the operating lever 8 and the handle locking mechanism. The lever 8 is pivoted to the casting 7 in the usual manner so as to pass vertically therefrom into any one of the notches formed in the usual manner on the outer edge of the table 6 and so that when it is elevated to its horizontal position it will be free from said notches. In order, however, to unlock the operating arm 3 from the base 2 as above described, it is necessary that the vertical bar 5 be given vertical movement and I am able to perform this movement by mounting on the lower edge of the lever 8, near the pivot thereof, the roller 9 which is adapted to engage the upper surface of the table and roll thereon but which prevents the lever 8 from attaining its horizontal position until it has raised the casting 7 and with it the bar 5 sufliciently to release the operating arm 3 from the lugs 2 thusunlocking the switch rod 4. Alug 22 is formed on the lever 8 in such a position thereon that when the lever is in its vertical position the lug 22 is under the table 6 thus preventing the casting 7, and the parts con nected thereto, from being raised to disengage the arm 3 from the lugs 2 in the base until the lever 8 is turned on its pivot. The handle lever 8 is locked in its vertical position while engaging one of the said notches in the table 6 by the following lock. The casting 7 to which the lever 8 is pivoted, as above described, is provided with a vertical extension 10 at its outer edge against the inner side of which the inner end of the lever 8 bears when the lever is in its vertical position. The lever 8 is provided at its upper end with an extension 11 adapted to pass through a suitable hole in the extension 10 and into a lock secured to the outer side of said extension in which lock said part 11 is engaged by a tumbler 12 so that it may not be removed therefrom until said tumbler is removed from engagement therewith.

The lock consists of a metal casing in which a quadrant shaped cavity 13 is provided, and the piece 11 enters said cavity 13 as shown in Fig. 2. e The tumbler 12 is pivoted in the cavity 13 so as to be able to move freely therein, being practically of the same radius as the quadrant, and has a suitable spring 1.4 which tends to bring it downward to engage the piece 11. The point of engagement between the parts 11 and 12 is preferably made by forming complementary shoulders on each of the parts which will engage each other and will prevent the withdrawal of the part 11. The tumber 12 is unlocked from engagement with the part 11 by being pushedupward therefrom by means of a suitable key inserted through a very narrow slot from the bottom edge of the lock. When this key has been inserted it engages the lower edge of the tumber 12 and pushes it up out of engagement with the part 11.

'In order to guard against the unlocking of this mechanism by unauthorized persons, 1 have introduced in the path of the key the following novel obstruction which, however, may be passed without diiliculty or uncertainty by the proper key. To one side of the narrow slot 15 is journaled, on a suitable pin, a cog wheel 16 which projects into and through the line of said slot so as to close it by its cogs 17. A slight lug 18 is formed in the lock close to the cog wheel 16 and one of the cogs, 19, is made a little longer than the others so as to engage the said lug 18. A

spring 2O is coiled around the pin supporting the cog wheel and engages the said wheel so as to always tend to keep the said long cog 19 against the said lug l8 so that when the key is not in the lock the wheel 16 will always occupy the same position and will allow a key to be inserted without clamping it (which it might do if the wheel 16 should not happen to be in its correct position.) The wheel 16 which has been referred to as a, cog wheel is practically a pair of cog wheels side by side and each having say four cogs l7 and having their cogs arranged so as to come symmetrically between each other. The key 23 which will pass these cogs is formed of a flat strip of metal having indentures cut in its two edges so as to fit in the teeth 17 of the wheel 16", one set oi teeth 17 fitting in the indentures on one edge of the key, while the other set fits in the indentures on the other edge thus forming a key such as is illustrated in 1* igs. 3 and 4 which will engage the teeth 17 of the cog wheel l6, and in passing them will turn the said wheel and which, having turned the wheel, will pass into the quadrant cavity 13 formed in .the lock and engage the tumbler 1.2 and push it out of engagement with the part 11 The cog wheel 16 has its cogs 17 formed exactly symmetrical with each other so that the key 23 is entirely reversible, it making no difference which set of indentures engages which set of cogs. The under surface of the lock is curved from the inner end to the key slot 15 so that the key may be inserted in the slot by simply pressing it against the under surface of the lock a little too far in and then drawing it outwards until it engages the edge of the slot thus allowing the key to be inserted without the necessity of seeing the keyhole.

The lock is incased in a cast hood orbox 21 which is riveted to the extension 10, the rivets also passing through flanges on the lock. In this way I prevent any tampering with the fastenings of the lock plates since they are surrounded by the box 21, except along the bottom edge, and the only way the lever can be turned on its pivot by an unauthorized person is by cutting the rivets which secure the box 21 to the switch. The bottom of the box is left open to facilitate the in sertion of the key into the lock.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a switch stand lock, the combination with a switch stand having recesses formed in its base and a table above its base, of an operating arm journaled in said switch stand and having vertical and rotary motion therein and adapted to enter the recesses formed in said base, a casting connected to the vertical portion of said arm above the table of said stand, a lever pivoted to the casting on a horizontal axis and adapted to raise it and the oper ating arm out of engagement with the recesses on the base of the switch stand, a lug formed on said lever and adapted to engage the lower edge of the table when the ley er is in its vertical position, and a lock secured to said casting and engaging the lever to prevent it from being turned on its pivot.

2. In a switch stand lock, the combination with a switch stand having recesses formed in its base and a table above its base, of an operating arm journaled in said switch stand and having vertical and rotary motion there in and adapted to enter the recesses formed in said base, a casting connected to the vertical portion of said arm above the table of said stand, a lever pivoted to the casting on a horizontal axis, and a roller mounted on the lower side of the lever and adapted to engage and roll on the upper surface of the table and acting as a fulcrum for said lever whereby when said lever is brought into horizontal position the said casting and the operating arm are raised and are free to operate the switch.

In a switch stand lock, the combination of a lever adapted to operate the switch and having a latch extension adapted to enter the lock, of a lock frame mounted on the switch stand, a tumbler pivoted within said lock frame and adapted to engage said latch extension to prevent its withdrawal from the lock frame, and a key adapted-to push by its vertical longitudinal movement the tumbler away from the latch extension.

r. In a switch stand lock, the combination of a lever adapted to operate the switch and having a latch extension adapted to enter the lock, a lock frame mounted on the switch stand, a tumbler pivoted within said lock frame and adapted to engage said latch extension to prevent its withdrawal from the lock frame, a toothed wheel mounted in said lock frame and blocking the key-passage with its teeth, and a key having indentures therein adapted to en gage the teeth and turn the wheel as it passes it and adapted to push by its vertical longitudinal movement the tumbler away from the latch extension.

5. 111 a switch stand lock, the combination of a lever adapted to operate the switch and having a latch extension adapted to enter the lock, a lock frame mounted on the switch stand, a tumbler pivoted within said lock frame and adapted to engage said latch extension to prevent its withdrawal from the lock frame, a toothed wheel having two complementarily arranged sets of teeth one on one side and the other on the other side and blocking the key passage with both sets of teeth, and a key having two complementarily arranged sets of indentures in its two edges corresponding with and fitting the teeth of said wheel and adapted to turn the wheel as it passes it and to push by its vertical longitudinal movement the tumbler away from the latch extension,

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HANS PAULS'ON.

Witnesses:

Al. II. Conny. M. A. VAN Hoosh. 

